Show Your Lawn Some Love

Everyone knows what it’s like to have a neighbor with an incredible lawn and to want your own lawn to look just as good. Instead of spending hours wondering how your neighbors get their lawns to look so gorgeous, follow these tips to help grow a lush green lawn.

 

Mow High

When you mow your lawn, you will want to set your lawn mower to 3 or 4 inches high. This will make it so you only mow off the top of the blades and the grass will grow longer and fuller. It will also overshadow potential weeds and stop them from taking over your lawn. An article on lawn care says the sensitive growing point for weeds is at the top of the plant and the sensitive growing point for grass is near the soil, so when you mow high, you are killing the weeds but protecting the sensitive point for the grass. Overall, mowing high yields more shade to the soil, deeper roots which leads to less watering, thicker turf which leads to fewer weeds, and slower growth which leads to less mowing.

 

Watering Your Lawn

Watering your lawn has a science behind it. Follow these tips to show your lawn love. When the blades of grass start to curl it’s time to water. If you water too frequently, the weeds will benefit more often than the grass. If you leave your lawn sit longer without being watered, weeds have a harder time growing because they are deprived of moisture. Watering infrequently lets the soil absorb the nutrients for a longer period of time.

According to The Family Handyman, you should water with a timer so your lawn gets the right amount of water. You don’t want to drown your lawn! Too much water is just as bad as not enough when it comes to watering your lawn. The best time of day to water your lawn is in the morning as the sun is rising. Then the moisture won’t evaporate in the midday sun and it won’t sit overnight and promote the growth of fungus.

Soil Depth

Your soil should be around 18 inches deep to allow for deep-rooted, healthy grass. If you are having trouble getting anything to grow in your yard, your soil might need more high quality dirt. One great way to help is to mix topsoil and compost on your lawn and start from scratch.

Everyone wants a beautiful lawn, but summer gets so busy it is hard to keep it up. We can help you create and maintain a beautiful lawn all year! Check out our website to learn more about our services.

How Coffee Grounds Can Benefit Your Garden

There are plenty of garden fertilizers on the market today, but it can be difficult to find all natural products if you have an organic or non-synthetic garden. One common household item that often gets overlooked is coffee grounds.Coffee grounds can  be useful in your garden in a variety of ways, though each use comes with their own pros and cons. Luckily, most problems have a simple solution:

 

Coffee Grounds as a Mulching Agent

Pros: The grounds provide nitrogen that plants thrive on to grow.

 

Cons: They can prevent necessary air and water from getting to the plants if used alone.

 

How to use: Mix the grounds with an organic mulch so the grounds don’t smother the delicate plants.

 

Grounds as an Addition to Compost

Pros: The coffee creates nitrogen-rich soil for the plants and keeps the compost at ideal temperatures, which keeps out potentially harmful pathogens.

 

Cons: The grounds can smother the plants if they are used alone.

 

How to use: Mix with your compost for the most benefits.

 

Using Coffee Grounds as a Fertilizer

Pros: Earthworms are attracted to the grounds and will help to fertilize the plants. It will also boost the growth of plants that thrive on nitrogen, such as tomatoes and roses, by creating a slightly acidic environment to the soil.

 

Cons: Plants that don’t necessarily thrive on nitrogen might not benefit as much from coffee grounds as plants that do thrive on nitrogen.

 

How to use: Mix the grounds into the soil to dilute the concentration of coffee grounds and make the nutrients from the grounds more accessible to the plants.

Coffee Grounds as a Pesticide

Pros: Coffee grounds keep plant-eating slugs and snails away so they can keep growing.

 

Cons: They cannot be used in large quantities because it could harm the plants.

 

How to use: Simply mix with mulch to use as a pesticide.

Using coffee grounds in your garden can be very beneficial depending on the type of garden you have and your specific needs. If you are not a coffee drinker, most local coffee shops have free grounds available during the summer for your use. Happy planting!

How to Prepare Your House for Winter

Minnesota winters can be the most unpredictable time of year. This season, for instance, much of our state was covered in a foot or more of snow the day before Veterans’ Day, but have nearly nothing to show for it now. It is important to anticipate your winter needs before they become a problem -- prevention of frozen pipes and other winter-related stresses is far easier than trying to fix them down the road. Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind with regards to your home this winter season:

Windows and doors

If you have drafty or older windows and doors, you may want to take some measures to seal them up. some extra caulk, or plastic window kits can save you significantly on your winter heating bills.

Pipes

One of the most important (and potentially expensive) areas of your home to inspect is any area with exposed piping. extra insulation may be added during the months of the year in which frozen pipes are a possibility. Pay particular attention to pipes around the perimeter of your home.

Inspections

There are a number of things to inspect in your home during the winter: the heating system, chimneys and the roof being the main three. All should be inspected by a professional to prevent leaks or possible problems that can haunt you at the most inopportune times.

Extras

There are a few little extra tips that many people forget to do during the winter months. Remember to reverse your ceiling fans so they are spinning clockwise. According to Kiplinger, this pushes the heated air downwards towards the rest of the room versus sitting up by the ceiling. Test your sump pump by pouring a few gallons of water into the sump pit to see if the pump turns on. You want to make sure water won’t back up into your house. Install an outdoor thermometer to stay in touch with the outside weather. Create a winter debunking station for you and your childrens’ wet clothes and boots.

 

Last of all, Shoveling the driveway;  Let us take care of removing the snow for you. You have enough to do this winter around your home, leave the labour to us. Check out our website to learn more, and have a happy and safe winter season!

Ice Isn't Always Bad

Ice in Minnesota is usually seen as negative. It can lurk under the snow and make you slip and fall. If you’re driving, it can make you slide into the ditch, or even get into an accident. We all have our own stories of how ice has embarrassed us, however, just because ice can be a menace doesn’t mean it can’t also be beautiful. Some people have even taken to making ice sculptures to help bring us through the winter.

Every year, St. Paul hosts the annual Winter Carnival. The event was created in 1886 and is still upheld today. According to the event’s Facebook page, the winter carnival was created because a New York reporter visited Minnesota and said, “[it was] another Siberia, unfit for human habitation.” The winter carnival was created to prove that reporter and the rest of the country wrong. At the winter carnival, almost everything is made out of ice or snow.

 

There is also a “Frozen Narnia”  ice castle in Eden Prairie. The entire castle is carved out of ice and lit with LED lights to make the ice glow.

Some Minnesota ice castles are uniquely made from icicles rather than harvested ice blocks. According to CBS’ article on one such ice castle, the artist who made it used about 20,000,000 pounds of ice! The icicles make the castle look like a natural wonder.

As Minnesotans, we have certainly turned winter into its own art show.  This season, grab your friends and family, head to one of the events, and spend some time enjoying the beauty of ice!

Welcome, Katy Soyka!

Ehlinger Lawn Service is happy to introduce Katy Soyka! We recently hired Katy as our new Operations Manager. Katy says that she is excited to get back into the lawn care business. She has worked in the “green industry” since 2006.

Katy is originally from Sartell and attended Cathedral High School and Rasmussen college in the area. Before coming to Ehlinger, Katy spent over a year working in the Natural Foods Department at Coborn’s. When asked about the best part of her previous job, Katy said, “It was interesting learning about organic and healthier foods and products.  There were so many items I had never heard of but are growing in popularity such as the whole ‘gluten free’ craze. “

In her free time, Katy enjoys spending time with friends, reading, and listening to music, along with the occasional karaoke night. She loves being outside in the warmer months, spending time with her two yorkies. If she could be anywhere but Minnesota right now, Katy said she would like to travel to Ireland or Australia, but she would take anything over 72˚ at this point!

Katy is so excited to be part of the Ehlinger team, and we are so excited to have her. She is learning the ropes and will be an essential member of our team. She is most excited to be working alongside her fiancé, Joey. So next time you call in to Ehlinger, say “hi” to Katy and welcome her to our team!

Winter Activities in Central Minnesota

There’s no more beautiful place to spend a winter than in Minnesota. Whether you explore the Lake Superior Shore or the St. Paul Winter Carnival, there’s always a place to enjoy a hot cup of cocoa with some loved ones. Even without a trip to the shore or downtown St. Paul, there’s plenty of exciting snow activities around central Minnesota.

Sledding and Snow Tubing

Central Minnesota has a plethora of hangouts and parks for some classic sledding and snow tubing.  Families can choose from a variety of parks including Hester Park, Riverside Park, Sauk Rapids High School Park, and Wilson Park for their fill of sledding and snow tubing. Just make sure to seek out smooth hills, avoid trees, and always travel with friends.

Ice Skating

There’s no more picturesque outdoor winter image than ice skating at a park under a light snowfall. Lake George’s beautiful outdoor rink located downtown St. Cloud. Skate rental is free, and the warming shelter is there for you to rest if you need to. The Municipal Athletic Complex (MAC) offers indoor ice skating, rentals, skate sharpening, and concession each under $10 per person. For other rinks around the area, check out the city of St. Cloud’s list of area rinks.  

Take Advantage of Power Ridge

Powder Ridge has been a longtime winter recreation staple in Central Minnesota. With renting and amenities for skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing, (and lessons for all activities) people of all ages can enjoy the area. Whether you travel up for a day, purchase a season pass, or wish to plan a special event, Powder Ridge  has all for winter sport enthusiasts in Central Minnesota.

Explore Quarry Park

Quarry Park and Nature Preserve in Waite Park is open all-year round for visitors. After a snowfall of four or more inches, the ski trails are open for cross country skiing. In fact, on January 9, they’ll be hosting a Moonlight Ski at Quarry Park where skiers can enjoy 4.2 miles of lighted ski trails, campfire, drawing for prizes, and hot chocolate. There’s also a variety of hiking and snowshoeing trails for the family to enjoy.

Central Minnesota has a host of fun recreational winter activities, Christmas light shows, hockey games and holiday shows to name just a few. Check out stcloudfun4kids.com for more family fun this winter!

Holiday Travel

Adverse weather conditions are nothing new to Minnesota drivers- we are decidedly adept at driving our way through snow and slush, and we’ve come to expect the presence of black ice as surely as the seasonal flu. Just as unpleasant, winter travel can become your worst nightmare in a split second if you’re not prepared. Despite years of practice, winter driving always requires elevated awareness and a ‘slow and steady’ mentality.

We’ve compiled a tried and true list of winter travel tips to get you safely on your way this holiday season; you’ll thank us as you count the cars in the ditch on the way to Grandma’s.

-Before you begin your holiday travels, be sure to check your gas tank. Under half full? Time to fill up. Sub freezing temperatures present the threat of a gas line freeze-up.

-Outlaw the beloved cruise control during winter travel. Patches of ice and drifting snow can appear before you’ve had time to react. Cruise control severely limits your ability to react in a controlled manner.

-You’re in a hurry, and so is the holiday shopper looking to pass you. Never pull out in front of oncoming traffic without enough time to account for spinning wheels; if you happen to catch a patch of ice, they likely will as well. A fender bender does not a happy holiday make.

-Store extra blankets, boots, gloves, hats and any necessary medications as well as brightly colored cloth in your car for winter travel. You never know when you’ll be glad to have them.

-Should you find yourself in a ditch on the side of the road, leaving your vehicle could make things a whole lot worse. Staying with your car will provide you with shelter from the freezing elements until help arrives, and you’ll be spotted easily for a swift rescue.

-Take a peek at your exhaust pipe. Snow, ice or mud clogged exhaust pipes could lead to a toxic carbon monoxide leak into the cab of your car while running. Should you find yourself in a snow bank, crack a window to allow fresh air in. Should snow make its way into your exhaust pipe, dangerous fumes may be pushed into the cab of your vehicle.

-Expect delays. Travel time can easily double on snow covered roads, and accelerating and decelerating slowly is the best way to maintain traction on icy surfaces. Check conditions before you leave and allow plenty of time for delays, so you are not rushed.

-Become friendly with your brakes. Understanding how your brakes operate is key to avoiding spin outs and accidents. Anti-lock or not, applying firm and steady pressure to your breaks when an icy situation catches you off guard is essential.

-Always thoroughly clear off snow and ice from all vehicle windows. That small patch of frost you thought would defrost quickly just might be the cause of a future fender bender. Keep your sights clear, and take the time to scrape. It might not be fun, but it’s definitely necessary.

-While out on the roads, keep in mind that exit ramps and bridges will freeze before the water on roadways will turn to ice. Use extra caution on highway ramps and bridges. Keep watch and stay back at least 200 feet from snow plows and maintenance vehicles, and never pass on their right.

Keep these driving and safety tips in mind when travelling this winter. From all of us at Ehlinger Lawn Service, we wish you a very happy holiday season, and safe winter travels.